RCAS superintendent apologizes for reported comments on US DOE Office of Civil Rights letter
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - The Rapid City Area Schools superintendent felt the heat Monday after reported comments during 2023 interviews with the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights quoted her saying that certain Native American tribes do not commonly value education.
These comments were reported in a recent letter sent to the Rapid City School District by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The letter’s purpose is to summarize the findings of their investigation concerning Native American and white students and whether they are treated differently when it comes to education and disciplinary measures.
In the letter, when talking about truancy rates, the superintendent is quoted saying that certain Native tribes don’t value education and inform their students that they don’t need to graduate. The OCR wrote, “The Superintendent reported that certain Native American tribes, such as the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Tribes, do not commonly value education and inform their students that they do not need to graduate.”
OCR also reported, “She said that the District struggles with what she termed ‘Indian Time.’”
During Monday’s RCAS Board of Education meeting members of the community expressed their frustration and disappointment with those comments, calling for action to be taken by the board.
“These comments are unacceptable from the district or anyone within, as they are responsible for the education and well-being of our children,” expressed Rapid City community member Sunny Red Bear. “So I urge the school board to review any position and hold accountability to those that continue to perpetuate these remarks and culture within a school.”
“The statement clearly affirms the culture of racism that exists in RCAS and looks to distract us from addressing the real challenges of all our students, not just our Indigenous students,” expressed Rapid City community member Andrew Iron Shell. “So I am here to say that this is grounds to remove such leadership that will spew that type of racism in our community, remove them, remove them now.”
“I’m appalled by some of the leadership’s recent remarks, which perpetuate harmful stereotypes about Indigenous students and Indigenous tribes and confirm a culture of racism in our schools,” expressed Rapid City community member Anissa Martin. “As a first-generation college student, I was able to receive a full academic scholarship and achieve my own academic goals, and... so to hear my own experiences invalidated by the leadership in this district also makes me feel for the students who are currently in the school system.”
Another Rapid City resident expressed his thoughts on the situation after the meeting.
“I’d like to address where Superintendent Swigart said that LDN (Lakota, Dakota, Nakota) people do not value education and that we inform our students that they do not need to graduate. But I would point to the fact that Native students are five times more likely than any other kind of kid to be suspended and suggest that if they hold the idea that graduation isn’t important for them, they got it from Nicole Swigart,” expressed Rapid City resident Taylor Gunhammer.
The RCAS superintendent apologized during the board of education meeting for what was reported in the OCR letter.
“I want to express my sincere apologies for any offense these harm... or harm these reported statements have caused. I want to make it clear; I do not recall choosing those words, and it was never my intention to make statements that could be perceived as disrespectful or dismissive of Native American cultures or values,” expressed RCAS’s superintendent Nicole Swigart.
The rest of Swigart’s apology:
During the same meeting five of the council members on the education board also shared their thoughts on comments made by the public regarding the situation. According to the RCAS BOE, the comments made by one of the members do not reflect the entire board.
If you are interested in listening to what they had to say their respective response is below:
- RCAS board president Troy Carr
- RCAS first vice-president Jamie Clapham
- RCAS second vice-president Christine Stephenson
- RCAS board member Michael Birkeland
- RCAS board member Walter Swan
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